Julian Sands, Jenna Malone, Michele Martin join Ibsen adaptation

Produced by Cinema Altera principal Charles Huddleston, the film is envisioned as a modern-day adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic. Huddleston will direct from a screenplay he adapted with Martin.

Clay Epstein is executive producing and handling international sales for the film at the AFM.

Principal photography is slated to begin in January in Cincinnati.

“Ibsen’s tale of a family unraveling in the face of the debt crisis is as relevant now as it was a 130 years ago,” Huddleston said. “By bringing it into today’s world I’m going to heighten the characters’ emotional turmoil and send them on a frightening journey where their deceptions and financial decisions threaten not only their social standing but their lives.”

“A Doll’s House” centers on a young woman’s marriage to an overbearing husband, set during today’s recession.

Martin (“Assisting Venus”) will play Nora Helmer, the naive young wife of a banking executive. Malone (“Pride & Prejudice”) will play the role of Christine Linde, a friend of Nora’s who has to decide between her loyalty to Nora and her own future while Kingsley is attached for the role of Dr. Rank, a friend to the Helmers. Sands will play Nathan Gynt, a professional in the seedy world of lending desperate people money.

“A Doll’s House” has been revived eight times on Broadway, most recently in 1997.

Cinema Alterna plans to produce two to three feature films a year — half for under $1 million while the other half will be in the $5 million-$10 million range.